Gas engine



(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. ROHN.

GAS ENGINE.

No. 280,083. Patented June 26, 1883.

WITNESSES INVENTOR:

j y BY MAM {g ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. Pmwumo n mr. Wahmglcll. ac,

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. ROHN.

GAS ENGINE.

No. 280,083. Patented June 26, 1883 1"! I Ll v m1 1* 1H a A 4 e (Z I I Y 44%. i J 6 gm 3 Z I I f WITNESSES: x' 71 INVENTOR:

%@Ww 4 BY ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. Phum-Lhnd u mr. Waslungfiw, D. C.

(No Model.)

5 SheetsSheet 3.

(J. ROI-IN.

GAS ENGINE.

Patented June 26, 1883.

WITNESSfS INVBNTOR ATTORNEYS.

N4 PETERS. Phclo-Lrllmgmphln Wanhinglm. D. cv

5 Sheets-Sheet 4. C. ROHN.

GAS ENGINE.

(No Model.)

Rag

INVETOR:

ATTORNEYS 8 S h 0| /V 0 m 1w a 8 \\\\\\\\\WEY\\\\\\\\X N v 1m m O v N N. PETERS. Phowumo n her. wasmngmn, 0. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT CFEICE CHRISTIAN tOHN, ()F l IAl'tTFORl ("ONNEUITCUTIY GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,083, dated June 26, 1883 Application filed March 8, 1883. (No model.)

t'ul Improvement in Gas'Enginos, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to contrivances for produciuga double-acting gas-engine using mixed air and gas,which are mixed and compressed before being supplied to the cylinder, and are again compressed therein before ignition, the object being'to provide gas-engines capable of much higher service than as heretofore made.

The invention consists of the combination and arraugemei 1t ofparts, substantial] y as here inat'ter fully set forth and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reterenee indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l. is a side elevation of my improved gas-engine. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. l a horizontal section of the cylinder of the engine. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line .r .1" of Fig. -:t. Fig. i 6 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the packing for the piston-rod. Figs. 7, S, and 9 are details of the piston-rod packing in sec' tion. Fig. 10 is a plan view of one of the cylintler-rmrts. Fig. ill. is a section. of the c vlin-' der through one of the ports and the valve. Fig. 12 is a plan view of one of the valves. Fi 1.3 is an elevation of a cylinder-head, show ing the seat for the ignitioirvalve. Fig. ll is a section of the (isyliinler-head and i gniti on-valve, taken on the line .90 :r of Fig. 13. Fig. 15 is an elevation of the ignition-valve. Fig. 16 is a horizontal. section of the cylinder-headshown in elevation in Fig. 13. Fig. 17 is a cross-see ti on of the igniti oil-valve. Fi is a sectional elevation of the apparatus for mixing and compressing the air preparatory to supplying it to the engine-cyliinler. Fig. 18 is a transverse section of the said mixing-and compressing apparatus on theline :r .r, Fig. 18. Fig. 19 is an inside elevation of the valve-seats .of the valves regulatin the supply of air and gas to the mixer and compressor, as seen in the direction of the arrow, Fig 19". Fig. 19"isatransverse section on line a of Figs. 19 and 19'. Fig. 19 is a vertical section of Figs. 19 and 19, on line .L,

.1, through the gas throttle or suction valve to the compressor. Fig. 20 is a section of Figs. 19 and 19" through the air throttle or suction valve. Figs. 21 to 24, inclusive, are motion diagralns illustrative of the working of the valves.

Reterring toltigs. 1., 2, and 3, the engine may be generally described as follows:

(6 represents the working cylinder, mounted onthebed-frameI), with its piston-rod c and connecting-rod (I, connected with the crank shaft e, carrying the iiyavheelf; the eccentric for working the inlet-valve it for the compressed air; eccentric 1', for working the ignition-valves j It; eccentric I, for the exhaustvalve m,- connecting-rod n, for working the piston of the compressor, and the eccentric p, for working the gas-i nlet valve (1. (ommon illuminatinggas of any approved kind is supplied to the chamber of the valve-chest r in any ap proved way, from which it passes into the gas passage u of the compressor through slide- 'alve q, and subject to the control of a regir latingvalve, 10, under the control of the governor a; and a valve, 8, employed for admitting fresh air to the compressor, is under the control of the governor, to regulate the amount of fresh air in proportion to theload and speed of the engine, said valve, and also the g8S-1Ggl1- lating valve to, being connected by their rods ,0. 7/ to arms 0 of a rock-shaft, d, \vhichisconnected to the governor by the rodf.

The valve (1 for the gas consists of a fiat plate with a slot through it, and works be: tween the port-taco of the valve-chest and the port-taco of the compressor, each having a slot, and all making a direct passage, g, into the eon'ipressor, when they coincide, as represented in Fig. 18. The valve-chest r connected by bolts 71, having a spring, I, under them to prevent binding the valve (1, atthe same time holding it gas-tight. \Vith these valves it will be seen that the gas and air may he admitted in, the required proportions for mixingproperly, and at the same time be regulated in quantity, according to the labor it is required that the engine shall do.

The cylinder j of the air eompressor and its piston 0 are constructed for double action, and provided withv the requisite duplicate suctionvalves k for air and gas, Figs. 19 and 20, and one set of delivery-valves, l, by which theinixed and compressed gas and air are delivered to the chamber of the valve chest at 5 of cylinder a through the connecting-pipe in which is a throttle, 1/, subject to the control of the governor The inlet-valve 71 for the cylinder a. is, like the valve q,,a simple flat plate with a slot throughit, andfitted between the port of valve-chest n and the port-face of the cylinder, so that it opens a'straight passage, q, into the cylinder, when its slot coincides with the others. Similar bolts, It, and springs 1 are employed to secure the valve-chest and I valve, as in the case of the compressor. The inlet-port q enters the cylinder at the center be tween the ends of the cylinder, and the exhaust s is similarly situated on the opposite side of the cylinder; but the exhaust-valve on has an exhaust-cavity, a, discharging into the cavity 12 of the cylinder leading to the exhaust-pipe a. For a simple method of making these ports q and s in the cylinder, and also to provide cross 'bars or bridges w, to wear even and enable the pistoirpacking to pass over without obstruction, I prefer to bore a series of holes, instead of coring them out in the molds, as represented in Figs. 10 and 11. The port in the valve h has a width corresponding to the desired cutoff or time of admission, and its eccentric is to be set to open the inlet to the front end of the cylinderwhen passing from 1 to 1, Fig. 21, which is during the fastest travel of the valve and just before the piston t arrives at theback end of its stroke. When the valve closes the inlet to the front end of the cylinder, the piston and valve will be in the positions repre sented in Fig. 22, the piston then being on the return-stroke. compression begins on the mixed air and gas then filling the cylinder, and is continued till the piston reaches the end of its stroke, when the ignition- 'alvej opens, admitting a flame of burning gas, which ignites and consumes the gas contained in the compressed air in the cylinder, and thereby heating the air and increasing the pressure in the measure corresponding to the temperature produced by the combustion of the gas and the pressure of the air and gas at the moment the gas was ignited, the increased pressure of the heated air driving the piston toward the other end of the cylinder. \Vhen the piston has arrived about as far on the forward stroke as represented in Fig. 23, the exhaust-valve m opens for the exhaust of the spent hot air in the back end of the'cylind'er, and when the exhaust-valve is wide open and most of the spent hot air exhausted a small valve (not shown, but to be situated on the front end of the cylinder) will in practice be used to open and admit a small quantity of compressed air well charged with aqueous vapor to drive out the rest of the hot gasbefore the inlet-valve opens to admit a fresh supply of the mixed air and gas, said valve to be operated by any approved means. The eptraveling from 2 to 2, Fig. 21.

As soon as the inlet is closed erations are the same for the other end of the cylinderthat is to say, when the valves and piston are in the positions represented in Fig. 24, the inlet-valveopens for the supply of the back end of the cylinder while the eccentric is The mixture is then compressed as before until the piston arriv esat the back end. The ignition valvc 7c then opens, the gas contained in the air is ignited and consumed, the air heated, and the increased pressure behind the piston drives it forward again till its pressure is exhausted. lVhen the exhaust-valve is wide open for the exhaust from the front end of the cylinder, another small valve, (not shown,) situated on the back end, is to open and admit a small quantity of co1n pressed air to drive out the rest of the spent hot air, same as for the other end. The exhaust-valve on is, liketheinlet-valve, confinedto its p ort face, by its chest-cover m",by bolts h and springs '17. The ignition-valves j and It consist of a plain bar, (6, having a gas-chamber, 12", into which gas is admitted through ports 0 from the chamber (Z in the cover 6-, and from which it issues through a small hole, f, to the combustionchamber and there is a small passage, 71, from said chamber 7) into a recess, 13*, in the port face of the cylinder, on which. the valve works, and a recess, j, in the faceof the valve, working on said port-face. A jet of the gas, which is supplied to chamber (1 bya pipe, k is continuously burning at 1", exterior to the cylinder, which ignites the gas in chamber through opening at in the chest-cover when the valve is in the position opening chamber to it. The flame continues in chamber g long enough after the valve has descended, to cut off opening m for chamber to open into the passage "21", communicating with the interior of the cylinder, and ignites the gas therein. The object of the chamber i is to receive a small quantity of the' combustible gas to be transferred by chamber j to the opening 91?, for greater certainty of ignition of the mixed air and gas in the cylinder.

For the back end of the cylinder the port face 0 on which the igniting-valve works, is arranged on the cylinder-cover between guides 1)",- but for the front end of the cylinder the valve has to be provided for on the side of the cylinder, in consequence of the end being occu pied by the piston-rod and stuffing-box. In both cases the ignition-valves are confined by covers a bolted on with bolts h and springs 41, in the same manner as the other valves are. The igiiition alves are connected to the rock ers g, which are connected together by the rod s and connected to eccentric i by rod 1 the rockers being arranged rcversely to each other as to the projection of their arms a to which the valves are connected, so that one rises while the other descends in unison with the movements of the piston. These valves are to be geared so that they open the combustion-chambers g to the cylinder when the crank is passing the centers.

. is pres To obtain a perfectly air-tight packing for the piston-rod, which is absolutely required to make this engine double-acting, I have contrived a combined metallic and hydraulic packing, which, besides being airtight, reduces the friction. to a small amount as compared with other packing, and is as follows: I make a bush, c", to fit in the bottom of the stui'iingbox b, said bush being chambered at c, Fig. 7, to receive connnon metallic ringni-eking d in the bottom of the chamber, to be set up by the inner end of a sleeve, 0, having a collar, f, fitting the bore of the stuffing-box, between which collar and the end of the gland y" other metallic packing, h, is arranged; and between the outer end of this sleeve and the bottom of the chamber i of the gland is still another set of metallic packing-rings, j, all of which rings are set up by the gland; and I chamber the sleeves c, as at and connect said chamber with a pipe, Z", from a hydraulic pump and another pipe, in, for letting off the fluid by openings a at the space between the end of bush (6 and the shoulder-f. The gland d in to keep the packing tight by springs 0'' on the bolts 1)" in case the packing is to work automatically. The packing-rings d at the bottom and j" in the chamber of the gland prevent any escape of the fini d between the rings. The sleeve 6 between these two packings serves to compress and hold the packing-rings in cm-itact with the rod, besides containing the chamber for the fluid-packing, said (i l1an1bei. being turned out in the sleeve just enough larger than the piston-rod to con.- tain a thin film of water. The annular waterspace q between collarf and the end of bush u," is to prevent any air escaping around the sleeve. The water is to be allowed to circulate through the packingbox and pass oit' at :r to the water-jacket of the cylinder, to keep the box cool, a relief-valve being employed to regulate the escape, the valve being held down by a spiral spring. This improved packing, especially required in the engine, is also useful for steam, air, gas, water, and other ongines. I also use oil under pressure for the hydraulic packing, without making it circulate, which is preferable for small gas-engines and for other engines.

To properly rcgul ate the speed of the engine to correspond to the load, I use a governor, as befbre stated, which may be of the same kind as used in a steanrengine, the throttle-valve of the engine and also the throttle of the com pressor being connected to it. As the speed of and load. on the engine vary, the-governor will open or close the throttle-valve p andincrease or diminish the supply of mixed air and gas to the engine, which will correspondingly vary the pressure of the compressed air in the cyli nderbctorebeiugheated,wl1ichcorresponding] y varies the working pressure, thus regulating the speed. In like manner the operation, of the throttle-valve on the compressor regulates the compression, and thus uniform- .bv the same kind of reversin ear ity between the compressor and the engine is maintained.

By compressing and heating air by mixing gas in it in such proportions that a flame will pass through it and heat it at once when ignited, a muchhighcr working pressure can be obtained than by any other known means 5 and as a cylinder of an engine can be so constructed that it can sustain a much higher working pressure than can with safety be produced in a steam-boiler, and by the direct double-acting principle practically utilized in an engine I have provided such an engine capable of much higher duty than any other gas, air, or steam engine, and calculated to be more safe and use- :ful than steznn-engines or engines of any exist. ing kind, as it does away with steam-boilers and all dangerous work and trouble ctmnectcd with the use of steam.

It is also to be noted that, as all valves in this engine are driven directly from the crank shaft with eccentrics, it can be made reversible used in a steamengine, and thus be made useful for .any purpose where steam used.

It is also to be noted that, as in, this improved engine the working pressure is regulated by the governor and thrott-levalve on the valvechest of the engine, compressed air of a steady pressure, compressed in any suitable eompressor connected with, as hereinbefore described,

or diseomiectcd from, the engine, can be used which simplifies and makes these engines more useful. a

It is also to be noted that in this improved engine all the heat developed by the combustion of the gas takes effect on the air employed for producing expansive force, the air is exposed directly to and acted on by the flame, thereby utilizing the heat of the flame before radiation takes place.

As a small cylinder can be made to sustain a much higher pressure than a huge one, and it is advantageous to use high working press nre, as it reduces the consumption of gas in proportion, I first heat and partly expand the vapor in a small cylinder, and then complete theexpansion in a larger one, for which pur pose I. propose to add a working-cylinder ot' the same kind as used in steam-engines to the engine hereinbe'lore described, for compounding it, so that, as alarger volume of vapor can be heated at on co in. a cylinder without increas ing the friction and number and size of work ing parts than can be expanded in that cyliir der, a larger measure of eflect than can be obtained from it in the small one will be developed by the use of the two.

\Vhile I have described my improved engine as a gasenginc, becauseso called, I maintain that it is properly a hotair engine using gas as fuel and hot air as the motive power, the air being heated by the combustion of the gas within the air, the gas and air being mixed in such proportions that when compressed in the cylinder and the gas ignited a flame will pass through the air the gas is mixed with, heating it at once, and thereby utilizing all the heat developed by the combustion of the gas.

I further reserve the right to constitute the features shown in Figs. 6, 7, S, and 9 as the subject of a separate application.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A gas-engine having inlet and exhaust ports located centrally between the ends of the cylinder, and inlet and exhaust valves therewith, that effect distribution and exhaust of the motive vapor at both ends of the cylinder and both sides of the piston alternately, substantially as described.

2. A gas-engine having inlet and exhaust ports located centrally between the ends of the cylinder, and inlet and exhaust valves therewith, that effect distribution and exhaust of the motive vapor at both ends of the cylinder and both sides of the piston, and also having ignition-- alves at both ends of the cylinder, substantially as described.

A gas-engine having inlet and exhaust ports located centrally between the ends of the cylinder, with alves for controlling the same, the arrangement being such that the inlet opens to the exhausted space behind the piston, and the charge of motive vapor admitted thereto is compressed by the return-stroke of the piston prior to ignition, substantially as described.

4. The combination, in a motive-engin'e, of a' tion valves, and said compressor and gasengineh aving throttle-valves connected with and controlled by one and the same governor, substantially as described.

The combination, with the cylinder (1', of a gas-engine having inlet and exhaust ports located centrally between the ends of the cylinder, of the inlet-valve 71., having port q, and the exhaust-valve m, having chamber a, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a gas-engine cylinder, a, having the inletport located centrally between the ends of the cylinder, of an inlet slide-valve, 71, having a single passage, q, and being geared and arranged to admit the motive vapor alike into the empty space behind the piston on both forward and backward strokes, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with a gas-engine cylinder, (1, having the exhaust-port located centrally between the ends of the cylinder, of the exhaust-"alve in, having the exhaustcavity u, and being geared and arranged to exhaust alike from both sides of the piston after the piston has passed the port, and to close the same prior to the return of the piston and before the opening of the inlet-valve, substantially as described.

S. The combination, with a gas-engine having inlet and exhaust ports located centrally between the ends of the cylinder, of the inlet valve h, having a single passage, and the exhaustvalve on, having exhaust cavity a, the

. said exhaustvalve being arranged to open the exhaust behind the piston and close it again, and the inlet-valve arranged to admit the motive vapor behind the piston and before its return, and both of said valves being alike operative on both sides of the piston, substantially as described.

9. The ignitionvalve consisting of a slid ing bar, a", having a gas-chamber, If, passages c and f and combustionchamber substantially as described.

10. The ignition-valve consisting of a sliding bar, at, having a gas-chamber, If, passages 0* and f combustionchamber 9t, passage If, and chamber j, substantially as described.

11. "he combination of the ignition-valve, having gas-chamberb-, passages 0" and f-, and combustion-chamber g, with the cover 0', having chamber (7% and burner Z", substantially as described. 7

12. The combination of the ignition-valve, having gas-chamber I), passages a and f-, and combustion-chamber g, with the cover 6", having chamber (7? and burner 1 and with. the cylinder a, having opening a, substantially as described.

13. The combination of the ignition-valve, having gas-chamber If, passages c and f combastion-chamber g-, passage 71 and cavity with the cylinder (6, having opening a and chamber 1'", substantially as described.

14. The combination of the ignition-valve, having gas-chamber P), passages 0 f", and h, combustion-chamber 1 and cavity j with the cover having gas-chamber (I? and burner I", and with the cylinder a, having opening a and chamber 1 substantially as described.

15. The combination, with the cylinder (I, having an outside gas-flame, Z, and an opening, w, into the interior of the cylinder, of an ignition-valve having a combustion-chamber communicating with the flame for ignition of the gas within it, and then, after cuttingofi' said communication with the gas-flame, opening communication with the interior of the cylinder through said opening at, and means, substantially as described, to supply the latter with an additional quantity of mixed air and gas to insure certainty of ignition, substantially as described.

16. An ignition-valve havinga combustionchamber, first communicating with a gas-flame for igniting the gas in said chamber, and then communicating with the cylinder for igniting the gas therein, and being provided with a chamber, 3"", that receives and delivers a measure ofnnmixed gas to the ignition-opening to the cylinder subsequently to the inlet of motive vapor to the cylinder and prior to the communication of the combustion-chamber ot' the valve with the vapor in the cylinder, substantially as described.

17. An ignition-valve having a combustion chamber, first communicating with a gas-flame foi igniting the gas in said chamber, and then and the gas and 7 air throttle valves 10 and s communicating with the cylinder for igniting with the gas and air mixer substantially as 10 the gas therein, and being provided with a described. chamber, j and a passage, 70 communicating a 5 with an additional gas and air supply cham- CHRISQIAL ROHN' her, i, substantially as and for the purpose \Vitnesses: set forth. EDWARD M. Buss,

18. The combination of slide-valve q S. WV. ADAMS. 

